Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
Int J Biometeorol. 2010 Jul;54(4):475-8. doi: 10.1007/s00484-009-0286-4. Epub 2010 Jan 19.
Species may circumvent or minimize some impacts resulting from climate change by utilizing microhabitats that buffer against extreme events (e.g., heat waves). Boulder field habitats are considered to have functioned as important refugia for rainforest fauna during historical climate fluctuations. However, quantitative data on microhabitat buffering potential in these habitats is lacking. We characterized temperature buffering over small distances (i.e., depths) within an exposed and forested boulder field on a tropical mountain. We demonstrate that temperatures are cooler and become more stable at increasing depths within boulder fields. The magnitude of difference is most pronounced in exposed situations where temperatures within boulder fields can be as much as 10 degrees C lower than near surface conditions. Our data provide a first step toward building models that more realistically predict exposure to heat stress for fauna that utilize rocky habitats.
物种可能会利用微生境来缓冲极端事件（例如热浪）的影响，从而避免或最小化气候变化带来的一些影响。在历史气候变化期间，卵石场生境被认为是热带雨林动物的重要避难所。然而，这些生境中微生境缓冲潜力的定量数据尚缺乏。我们描述了热带山脉上暴露和森林覆盖的卵石场中短距离（即深度）内的温度缓冲情况。我们证明，随着深度的增加，卵石场内的温度会更低且更稳定。在暴露的情况下，差异的幅度最为明显，卵石场内的温度比近地表条件低多达 10 摄氏度。我们的数据为构建模型提供了第一步，这些模型可以更真实地预测利用岩石栖息地的动物所面临的热应激暴露情况。
